Method of manufacturing tops and bows for same.



I. JENNISON & G. H. HIGGINS. METHOD OF MANUFACTURING TOPS'AND BOWS FOR SAME.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 4. I918.

1,272,451 Patented 16,1918.

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Patented July 16, 1918.

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UNITED BTATEB PATENT @FFKQE.

JESSE JENNISON AND GEORGE H. HIGGINS, OF CORTLAND, NEW YORK.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING TOPS AND BOWS FOR SAME.

Application filed January 4, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J ESSE J ENNISON, and GEORGE H. HIGGINS, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of Cortland, in the county of Cortland, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Manufacturing Tops and Bows for Same, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the method of manufacturing tops, and bows, thereof and is particularly adapted for the manufacture of tops for automobiles and other vehicles.

The object of the invention is to produce a top embodying a bow formed of a hollow steel tube, preferably of oval cross section and which may be of predetermined uniform length and preferably somewhat tapered at its opposite ends and adapted to be further automatically tapered by driving fit and frictional engagement with downwardly tapered bow sockets formed of hollow steel tubes. By this construction and method of manufacture, the use of the usual wooden bow is avoided and the bow and bow sockets are secured together in a rigid manner in a very simple and eiiicient way.

Theuse of a steel bow avoids the necessity of utilizing bow-setting machines and permits the omission of the usual fabric covering required with wooden bows. Further, wooden bows are ordinarly steamed vand bent to the required shape and variations in temperature, humidity and the like, so deform them that the uniformity, shape and character of the bows is lost and reopening is necessary.

Further, the top structure manufactured as herein described is of lighter weight and of greater strength for the same cross sectional area when compared with wooden bows.

The oval shape of the bow permits the 'free and unrestricted passage of the links,

arms, struts and the like, of One man tops, without cutting away the corners andprojecting angular parts of the bows.

The main feature of the invention resides in the method of construction of the bow nd bow sockets whereby the former is auto- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J uly 16, 1918.

Serial No. 210,273.

matically tapered by driving fit to conform to the shape of the bow socket and frictionally and rigidly engage the same, thereby constituting a substantially permanent rigid structure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation of a portion of a top structure made by the method herein described.

Fig. 2 is a cross section through the bow and the wind shield clamp.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on line '33, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a slightly modified form of how.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5-5 Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the method of securing the wind' shield clamp to the bow of Fig. 4:.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 of a slightly modified form of how.

Fig. 8 is a cross section on the line 8S, Fig. 7.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3 each bow 1 of the top structure comprises a single strip of sheet metal, bent in tubular form and preferably of oval cross section, the portions 2- and 3 of the strip being turned inwardly and diverging inwardly and having their edge portions t and -5, respectively, provided with return-bent interlocked flanges forming a keystone channel extending longitudinally of the bow.

Within the channel is positioned a strip or insert 6 of wood or suitable material, to which the fabric covering of the top, such as leather or the like, may be readily secured, the insert being of inverted keystone conformation in cross section to fit the channel and permanently secure the wooden strip therein.

In the process of manufacture, the wooden strip may be drawn into the channel before the longitudinal bends are formed in the how. The bow may then be bent longitudinally to desired form, the usual form being with its ends 7 extending substantially able manner to tapered form, contracting somewhat the inverted keystone channel adjacent the ends of the bow and compressing the wooden insert to further assist in constituting the engagement between the insert and the bow of a permanent nature. The end of the bow is so shaped by driving fit as to-tightly fit within the bow socket 8 of usual downwardly tapered form. The tapering of the bow may be entirely effected by driving the same into the tapered bow socket, although preferably the ends are somewhat tapered in the process of manufacture.

The bow may be driven into the socketuntil the frictional engagement renders their connection rigid, somewhat further automatically compressing and increasing the taper of the ends -7,,of the bow.

When the flanged end portions t and 5 have been interlocked, they may be rolled in any suitable and usual manner to minimize the projection of these portions and to constitute the inner surface of the recess of substantially continuous even contour. It will be understood that the showing of these flanged portions shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is exaggerated as to these portions of the structure in order to illustrate clearly the interlocking engagement of the parts.

The wind shield clamp 9 has a base portion 10 adapted to rest against the inner surface of the bow.

Suitable openings or conduits are formed in the wooden insert 6-, such openings extending through the inner wall of the channel formed of the parts l and The inner wall of the bow is formed with an opening of greater diameter adapted to receive and permit the passage of a sleeve or ferrule 11, the inner end of which is adapted to lie in contact with the inner wall of the inverted keystone channel, while the outer end rests in contact with the base -10 of clamp 9. Bolts 12 are then extended through the openings in the wooden insert .6- and the inner wall of the inverted keystone channel through the ferrules 11 and registering openings in the base -10. The bolts are adapted to receive nuts 13 by which the parts are drawn tightly together and the clamp rigidly secured to the bow.

It will be apparent that the ferrules -1'1- act toprevent any substantial defor' mation of the tubular bow by fixedly spacing the inner wall of the channel and the base of the clamp 9, forming a continuous rigid structure at the point of connection of the clamp.

It will also be apparent that the interlocked jointbetween the ends of the strip of metal comprising the tube may be formed at any point of the periphery of the tube, and, as shown is formed in the inner wall of the recess and should preferably be formed somewhere in the wall ofthe recess, although not, perhaps, as a portion of the inner wall.

In Fig. 4 the bow is shown as of oval cross section and of continuous symmetrical exterior contour and has no channel in its surface or wooden insert as shown in preceding figures, but consists solely of a single rigid complete tube bent as shown into substantial U-shaped form and has its ends 14,

preferably somewhat tapered and fluted,

perhaps best shown in Fig. 5, to permit antomatic tapering of the bow ends when driven into the downwardly tapered bow sockets. The fabric covering 15, may be se cured to the tube in any suitable manner, and we have indicated in Fig. 6, in detail, a simple and efficient manner for effecting the attachment. We make use of an ordinary glove fastener, one portion of which is provided with an extension screw 16, driven through the wall of the tube and forcing out a bur 17 which tightly engages the screw and prevents its removal except by turning. The other portion 18 of the fastener maybe secured to the fabric, the two parts of the fastener being adapted for removable engagement.

The wind shield clamp 9 is secured to-this structure of bow in a slightly different manner than in structure of Fig. 1, in that the ferrules 19 extend entirely across the interior of the tube and the bolts 20 extend through both sides of the tube through the ferrules and engage the base of the clamp.

The structure of 'Fig. 7 'is similar to that of Fig. 4, and embodies a rigid complete tube of continuous uninterrupted symmetrical contour and differs only from'the structure of Fig. 4, in that the end portions 21 instead of being fluted are provided with slits 22, permitting one edge adj acent to the slit to overlap the other when compressed by driving fit with the tapered bow sockets.

The fundamental feature of the invention resides in the method of forming the top structure by providing a solid tubular metallic bow with end portions extendin at substantially right angles to the body of the bow, and so constructed as to automatically taper themselves when driven into hollow downwardly tapered bow sockets, thereby constituting a unitary rigid structure, and although we have shown specific structures as illustrative of'our method and our invention, it will be understood, that changes and variations may be made in details of the same, and all within the scope of the appended claims.

Reference is hereby made to our copending application, Serial #148,099, in which the product disclosed in Figs. 1 to 8, of this application, is specifically claimed.

What we claim is:

1. The method of manufacturing tops for automobiles and the like comprising the following steps: 1st, forming opposite tubular tapered bow sockets; 2nd forming a sheet metal bow having its ends extending at substantially right angles to the body portion, and of a construction capable of being contracted by compression forces; 3rd, forcing the ends of the bow into the tubular tapered bow sockets until said ends are contracted by the inclosing walls of the sockets to constitute a rigid structure.

2. The method of manufacturing tops for automobiles and the like comprising the following steps: 1st, forming opposite tubular tapered bow sockets; 2nd, forming a sheet metal bow consisting of a body portion formed of a complete rigid tube and end portions extending at substantially right angles to the body portion, and of a construction capable of being contracted by compression forces; 3rd, forcing the ends of the bow into the tubular tapered. bow sockets until said ends are contracted by the inclosing walls of the sockets to constitute a rigid structure.

8. The method of manufacturing a bow structure comprising the following steps: 1st, forming opposite tubular tapered bow sockets; 2nd, forming a bow comprising a rigid complete metallic tube having a longitudinal groove extending throughout substantially its entire length and interrupting the continuity of the exterior contour of the tube, and a wooden insert secured in and substantially fitting the groove and exposed upon the outer face of the tube, the ends of the tube being contractile; 3rd, forcing said contractile ends into respective tubular bow sockets until the ends are compressed by the inclosing walls of the sockets to constitute a rigid structure.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 24th day of December, 1917.

JESSE JENNISON. GEORGE H. HIGGINS. Witnesses:

EDWARD ALLEY, BURT J. Bos'rwrox.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

